Rock Hill in York County, South Carolina — The American South (South Atlantic)
Hermon Presbyterian Church
This church was organized in 1869 with Rev. J.A. Rainey as its first pastor and is one of the oldest black institutions in Rock Hill. With support from Northern Presbyterians, it ran a private school as early as the 1880s and was a mission church until 1912. This Gothic Revival sanctuary, built by church members who were also brickmasons and carpenters, was built between 1897 and 1903.
This church features a three-story tower and pointed-arch and quatrefoil stained-glass windows. The congregation was a center of the local Civil Rights Movement of the 1950s and 1960s. Hermon Presbyterian Church was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1992. After the congregation moved to a new church 1 mi. SW on Heckle Blvd. in 1999, this historic church became a community center.
Erected 2013 by South Carolina Department of Archives and History, sponsored by the Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Hermon Presbyteran Church; and the Culture & Heritage Museums of York County. (Marker Number 46-50.)
Topics and series. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: African Americans • Architecture •
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Location. 34° 55.393′ N, 81° 2.021′ W. Marker is in Rock Hill, South Carolina, in York County. It is on South Dave Lyle Boulevard south of West Moore Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 450 S Dave Lyle Blvd, Rock Hill SC 29730, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in the Midlands and in the Olde English District. It is also in the American South and specifically in the Deep South. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once the original Cherokee Nation, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, one of the original Thirteen Colonies, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Live Oak (approx. 0.2 miles away); Sugarberry (approx.
Credits. This page was last revised on January 25, 2026. It was originally submitted on January 25, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia. This page has been viewed 26 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4. submitted on January 25, 2026, by Devry Becker Jones of Washington, District of Columbia.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. A link to the National Register of Historic Places nomination form citing the church building's historical significance. • Can you help?
